Device and method for conveying viscous substances



April 1929' c. P. BRASINGTON 1,710,144

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONVEYING VISCOUS SUBSTANCES Filed March 23, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1929- c. P. BRASINGTON 1,710,144

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONVEYING VISCOUS SUBSTANCES Filed March 25, 192.8 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 23, 1929 c. P. BRASINGTQN 1,710,144

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONVEYING VISCOUS SUBSTANCES Filed March 23,. 92. SSheetS-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLESPfiBRASINGTON, OF CINCINNATI,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL PRINTING INK CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONVEYING VISCOUS SUBSTANCES.

Application filed March 23, 1928. Serial No. 264,168..

This invention relates to conveying apparatus and is particularly directed to a device for conveying viscous or tacky substances.

The invention has been developed in relation to mills for grinding viscous fluids or tacky substances and in its conception directed to an attachment device for loadmg the mill or feeding the substance to be ground to the rolls of the mill. This application of.

the invention has been especially advantageous due to the nature of the substances fed into a grinding mill.

The substance to be ground, such as ink in a viscous or tacky state, usually comprising a mixture of pigment and oil or varnish, is\

usually contained in tanks or drums and loaded or elevated therefrom onto the rolls of the mill. Heretofore, this. operation has been manual labor, accomplished by meansv of a scoop and therefore necessarily, due to the nature of the substance, an extremely difficult and unpleasant task. By this manual feeding or loading operation, no arrangement has been possible forplacing mar terial in the mill in such quantity or at such rate, consistent with the capacity of the mill, with the frequent result that the mills have run empty until the operatorof a group of mills completed his round.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a conveying device for use if desired in combination with a mill, this device driven at a speed timed to that of the rolls of the mill and adapted to provide a constant uniform feed of the substanceto be ground from containers to the rolls of the mill.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature which is readily swung back or removed from one container for insertion in another container, which device elevates the substance from a point considerably below the level of the objective point.

The nature of those substances, the conveyance of which constitutes the present problem, prohibits the use of any endless carrier type of conveyor depending on a gravity discharge from the carrier as, for example, a bucket'type of conveyor. Carriers elevating the substance by means of receptacles, or cavities of any sort fail because of the adhesiveness of the substance whereas the present invention utilizes that characteristic.

Therefore, another object is to provide a device wh ch elevates a tacky or viscous substance entirely by means of the adhesion and temporary suspension of the substance to and from an endless carrier, and which permits a substantial removal of the substance therefrom by means of a scraper at the objectlve point.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature for use in feeding sticky sub stances, which is so designed as to be easily cleaned and readily removed as a unit from its position in an'environment and which necessitates substantially no change in the apparatus to accommodate its attachment thereto.

Still another object is to provide means for quickly dismounting the endless carrier from its mounting and drivingmeans.

Further objects and advantages will be more fu1ly set forth in a description of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thls'specification, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mill showmg the present invention attached thereto, and in its operative position for feeding the materlal from a tank to the mill rolls.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, further illustrating the device in its relation to a mill.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line Z: 3, Figure 1, showing the feeding device in enlarged detail.

F gure 4 is a sectional view taken on line H, Figure 3, showing the relation of the scraper blade to the sheave and the endless carrler.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the clutch arrangement for connecting the mill power to the feeding device.

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view taken on lme 6-6, Figure 1, detailing one of the pulleys 1n the foot piece for directioning the flexible endless carrier at the point where it is adapted to run through and pick up the material.

Figure 7 is a view taken somewhat similar to Figure 4but showing the depending or leg element of the feeding device swung upwardly and supported in a sling while not in use or during an interchanging of container drums.

Figure 8 is a side view of the foot of the are three rollsused in the grindin anenltarv v r and dash lines.

5, h Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the views f thedrawing, the device forming the pres n t" invention is shown attached to :a mill,

iill being generally indicated at -1.

1e particular mill shown herein; coma pair of side frames2, and a*pluralhorizontally disposed rolls 3j0tll'll2lll0d espective side frames, only one of the ,nies beingshown herein, inasmuch as n-s of duplicate construction. rolls'3 are {horizontally adjustable relatively 1 mill. This adjustment is accomplishedby 9 means of a handwhcel 4, screw'threaded into fgthe end wall 5 of a" guideway formed i Leachsi'de frame. Thehandwlieelgserew,en-

'blo'ck 7 I g'ages-an adjustable floatingb'earing of an en droll, a block journalingieael' spindle 8rjofthe rolls. a V Qt" In; the mill of the' type illustrated substance t v lilgures'l and 2 being *two of the rolls.

journalled in bearing "blocks 9, the bearing blocks 1 9. being immovably "secured to the H fran'ie' between theoutside rollbearing blocks 7 and l lock S im-realising the floating blocks o fo'llow up' the screw ad ust-mg in these d awings inasmuch as and the proper mounting therefor to illustrate an application of this invention- Broadly speaking. the device to which this invention principally directed, comprises, an endless carrier moved by engagement over a driving sheave and arranged for passage through -a substance to be conveyed. The carrier is adaptable for feeding any substance of a viscous or tachy nature which will adhere thereto and temporarily suspend therefrom. The discharge of substance at the objective point is accomplished by the engagement of the, carrier with a scraper blade. The endless carrier may be of any flexible formation, a plain wire or cable operating etliciently and being easy to clean, with the range of possible formation extending to chains, belts, etc.

, Referring again in detail to the drawings, a gear 11 is shown mounted on the spindle S Y These for varying thei degree of contact of the respective grindingfsurfaces thereof to properly grind the substancebeing fed intothe Compression. springs are in- 1. een the respectivebearmgblocks "ll-hecoristi uction of the mill is' all that s'nece ssary is a series of mill "rolls the frame of the mill by a bolt 15 engaging through a slotin the plate. A small sprocket gear 161s loosely mounted on the outer end of the shaftin line with the gear secured to to the cnd'carrying the gear 16. This pulley or sheave has a fairly wide face and is providcd centrally with a peripheral groove 19. An endless carrier is trackedin the groove and moves around a pair of;pulle'ys' 21-21 mounted on a foot 22 attached to the outer end oftheleg 23 suitably secured tothe shaft 13, This endless carrier may be formed of ."wire,' "chain, belt-or a cable of any sort. It has been found that-a wlrelcable 1s preferable. fortlns purpose, masmuehas 1t is easily cleaned and the-tacky fluid or viscous subance about to be ground adheres thereto sufficiently for the purpose-of the feed.

:The power to the sheave 18 is controlled by the frame 12 and the inner'toothedface 25 lation thereon by means of coll'ars26 pinned to the shaft at each sidefof the gear. The teeth of the' adjacent faces of thegear 16 and the cluto'h member 24-ar ee'ngaged byymeans of ,the translation of the clutchmember through a pivot lever 27 vertically mounted on a pin '28 traversing a pair of arms 29 extending from the arm ot'the U-shaped frame.

flever has a ball portion 30 formed at its nner end engaging in a" concentric groove:31-in the clutch element 24and has a handleforn'led on its outer or upper end.

. The carrier support or leg 23 of the device extends radially from'the shaft 13 and ismountedfon a stud extension 32 as a part of a collar 33 loosely rotatably mounted on" the shaft between the sheave and an The stud tclescopingly arm of the frame. engages in a tubular end 34 of the leg 23. Rotation, of the leg in relation to the stud is prevented by means of a collar 35 secured on the stud adjacent the collar portion by means of a screw 36, this collar 35 having a pin 37 extending from its outer face into a slot 38 formed longitudinally of the leg and in the wall of the tubular portion.

The lower end of the leg is provided with a squared head 39 and the foot 22 is adj ustably secured to the side of the squared portion by means of a screw 40. The foot 22 is of curved formation and as shown in Figure 1, its'outer ends extend downwardly below the lower or ea'ns of a toothed clutch member 24 keyed the shaft 13 and translatable thereon be I tweenthe outer faceof one of the* arms of The .intcrinediaten oll is m "of -the small sprocketgear 1G. The sprocket gear '16 loosely mounted onthe shaft but :held against longitudinalmm'ement or trans-' headed end of the leg. The pulleys 21 are secured to the respective ends of the foot, each of the pulleys being vertically disposed and mounted on a bolt 41, screw-threaded into the face of the leg opposite to the face engaging the squared or headed lower end of the leg.

The bolts comprise (see Figure 6) a head, a

swung after loosening the screw holding it to the leg and moved within. a range of movement prescribed by apin 42 extending through an upper corner of the squared end er the leg at such point as to be engaged by the upper face of the foot'after certain movement in either direction. By this arrangement, the endless carrier may be tightened around the sheave and the carrier holds the leg in its telescopic relation to the stud 32, so that upon removal of the carrier by rotation of the foot on its screw, it is possible to disassemble the leg from the device.

Inasmuch as the leg is attached to the loosely mounted collar it is possible to swing the leg and carrier in an are described from the center of the shaft. This movement is provided in order that the foot and leg carrying the lower end of the endless connector may be swung upwardly from the container in which the mechanism is operated during an interchangement of containers or when the device is not in use. A

The pivotal mounting of the foot provides for setting the foot in horizontal plane despite various inclinations of the leg due to variation in difference between the elevations of the substance to be fed and the objective ipoint. drawn taut by sliding the collar 35 and moving the leg 23 down on the stud 32.

hen the device is not in use swung upwardly into engagement with a sling 43, this sling being secured to an upwardly extending post 44 formed on the arm of the frame adjacent the sheave. The post receiving surface 'of this sling is disposed beyond dead center so that the leg and the mechanism attached thereto will lie in the sling due to the action of gravit as shown in Figure 7:

A scraper blade racket45 is secured to the inner face of the post and extends therefrom to a point adjacent the periphery of the sheave. A scraper blade AG is secured to this *brakfetjand extends across the face of the After the foot is set the carrier is the leg is pulley on the side toward the mill roll, this blade fitting fairly snug against the face of the sheave and having a circular indentation 47 therein to fit around the endless carrier. The scraper blade is inclined from this engagement with the pulley downwardly toward the mill roll, stopping short of engagement therewith.

vA container from which the material to be ground is fed is indicated at 48 and as shown herein the endless carrierptravels inaa horizontal plane close to the bottom of the container so that substantially all the contents may be fed therefrom. The substance and materials fed by this device may vary greatly one instance of a material adaptable for feed by this device being that of ink pigment mixed with oil or varnish. The ink material in this state is extremely viscous, having considerable adhesive qualities.

The endless carrier moved in a clock-wise direction around the sheave, due to the rotation of the sheave, as it leaves the surface of the substance has a coating of the substance adhering thereto. The speed at which it is necessary to operate the endless carrier is of little importance except as to bringing up the proper quantity to keep the mill constantly fed. Even at the slowest speeds enough of the substance will adhere to the endless carrier to cause a feed to the mill IOll.

In operation, the adhesion of the material is so great that a web of the tacky or viscous substanceextends considerably upward from the surface thereof in the container. As the substance is brought up to the sheave in temporary suspensionit is carried therearound and scraped off the sheave and carrier by means of the scraper blade 46 and thence flows slowly downwardly from the scraper blade to the surfaces of the mill roll. Inasmuch as the rotation of the outer mill roll is in an inward direction or clock-wise as viewed in Figure 1, the material deposited on the roll, although deposited toward the outer face of the roll is immediately carried on the surface of the roll to the grinding point between the rolls. The device as shown is attached to a side frame of the mill and the'feed is consequently at one end of the mill roll. The substance thus fed moves across a space defined between the rolls and forms a pool of substance indicated at 49. 2

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for conveying viscous substances, comprising, a driven endless wire,'a support for said wire adapted to dispose the wire for passage through the substance to be conveyed, and means for discharging the substance from the wire at an objective point. p

2. A device for conveying viscous substances, comprising, a drivenendless flexible member presenting an entirely convex surface, a support for said carrier adapted to dispose the carrier for passage through the sub stance to becoiiveyed, and means fo engagmg the carrier for removing.thesubstapce adhering thereto and dischargingthefsame at an objective points 3.1K device for. conveyiiigyiseous.siibstances, comprising, a driven endless flexible member, avdriving pulley therefor a" support aid sup- 7 for said pulley an 1 fiGXlblG-DIOI ber, s

. port adapted todispose said flexible member for passage through the substance to' be conveyed, and a discharge-element disposed in relation to said pulley for removing the substance, conveyed by adhesion to the flexible member, from the pulley and flexible member.

i. A device for conveying viscous substances, comprising, a power pulley and a carrier wire engaged over said pulley for deriving movement therefrom, means for guiding said carrier Wire through the substanceto be fed, and a scraper blade disposed ini'elation to said carrier wire for discharging the sub stance at an objective pointi 5. A device for convey 1g viscous substances, comprlsing, afdriven' endless flexible carrier, a frame, a driving sheave for the car-' rier mounted on said frame, a support for said carrier adapted to dlspose the carrier for passage through the substance to be conveyed,

said carrier support having it s end pivotallysecured to the sheave mounting for swinging the carrier relative to the substance to be conveyed, and means for discharging the substance from the conveyor at an objective point.

6. A device for conveying viscous substances, comprising, a frame, an endless flexible carrier, a driving sheave for the carrier, said sheave having its shaft journalled in said frame, a support for said carrier adapted to define the carrier movement for assage thereof through the substance to be conveyed, said support pivotally secured to the shaft of the driving sheave, said support of telescopic formation for extending the same, and means for setting the support in adjusted extended position, whereby the carrier is mounted in taut condition.

7. A device for conveying viscous substances, comprising, a frame, an endless flexible carrier. a rotary driving member for the disposedtangent to the pulley periphery, said blade engaged around the carrier and against the pulley periphery for removing and discharging th'e'substance adhering thereto and brought thereto from a source by temporary suspension fronr the carrier.

9. A device for conveying tacky substances, comprising, a frame, an endless flexible carrier, a pulley for driving said carrier mounted in said frame, a support for defining the movement of the carrier from the substance to be fed to the pulley. and a scraper blade adjacent the pulley periphery, said blade removing and discharging the substance adherin tothe pulley periphery and brought thereto from a source by temporary suspension from the carrier.

10. A device for conveying tacky substances, comprising, a frame, an endless flexible carrier. a driving pulley for said carrier having its-shaft journalled in said frame, a downwardly extending support for defining the course of movement of the carrier relative to the sourceof substance. a foot pivoted to said support and adjustable in a vertical plane, idler pulleys mounted at each end of the foot for disposingthe carrier under the foot. and means for setting the foot in an adjusted position, whereby said footis po- 1 sitioned to dispose the carrier portion between the idler pulleys in a substantially horizontal position regardless of the degree of inclination of the support. V

11. A device for conveying tacky substances, comprising, a frame. a driving sheave having its shaft journalled in said frameQan endless flexible carrier drivingly engaged with said sheave, a leg extending radially from said shaft and pivotally attached thereto. a foot pivotallymounted on the lower end of said leg. an idler pulley mountedat each end of said foot, said leg and foot'forming a support for said carrier. said carrier being disposed around-said idler pulleys for defining the coursemf movement of said carrier relative to the source of substance. said foot thereby ad ustable to a desired plane regardto said sheave and carrier for removing and discharging'the substance adhering thereto.

at-a-n objective point.

'12. A conveyor for tacky fluids, comprising. an endless flexible member having 0011- llt) vex'ly contoured surface to which'the fluid is adapted to adhere. a mounting for said"- member adapting it to be passed 'contin.u-'

'ously, between a point within the fluid and the point of desired delivery, means for drivmg said flexible. member, and-a discharge member placed in the proximity of said flexible member adjacent to the point of delivery, said member adapted to remove the fluid adhering to said convexly contoured surface of the flexible member.

13. The method of transporting a tacky fluid, said method, comprising, passing an endless wire therethrough to which said fluid is adapted to adhere, and transporting said fluid in suspension therefrom.

14. The method of elevating a tacky fluid, said method, comprising, passing continuously a flexible endless member therethrough, said member having an entirely convex surface from which appreciable quantities of said fluid are adapted to suspend themselves temporarily.

15. The method of elevating a tacky fluid, said method, comprising; passing a wire theret-hrough to which the fluid is adapted to adhere, and driving said member at such speed that the said adhering fluid reaches the desired delivery point before the termination of the temporary suspension resulting from said adhesion.

16. The method of transporting a viscous substance, said method, con'iprising, suspending predetermined quantities thereof from a wire driven therethrough.

17. The method of transporting a viscous substance, said method, comprising, adhesively suspending quantities thereof from the entirely convex surface of a flexible endless member driven therethrough at a speed adapted to deliver a desired quantity of said suspended substance at the objective point before the termination of said suspension.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

CHARLES P. BRASINGTON. 

